Shadows of the Earth's Heart
by Eevee101
Summary: Hiding a devilish side under his angelic eyes, Shadow looms his loving embrace to those who need his help. When he meets a distraught girl, can he fulfil his promise to protect her while teaching her how to forgive and forget?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners and not me with some exceptions. Only this story is mine, nothing else. Please read and review.

My name is Terra.

I have done horrible things. I have cause many unneeded pain and despair during my traveling because I could not control my powers. I was always driven away, cursed and persecuted. Then one day I came to Jump City, where I met Teen Titans. They gave me a home, offered me a hand in friendship, but I ran away when I thought Beast Boy had betrayed me.

My name is Terra.

I made the wrong choice and betrayed the Teen Titans. I couldn't control my powers, and I went to the one person who promise to help me. He was evil and tried to control me to be his weapon. I conquered a city, crushing those that stood in my way.I

My name is Terra.

I was betrayed. The man tried to take over me completely, but I fought him, and accidentally started a volcano in the process. I use every bit of my power so I could defeat the man who betrayed me, Save the city that I want to conquer, and those who were once my friends. But in the end I turn to stone. Even now stand I here perfectly still in my own prison.

My name is Terra…

…And I have absolutely no regrets.

1 Year Later…

Standing on top of a building in Jump City during the waning night was a young man about fifteen years old, standing at 5'5 with pale gray skin, deep blood-red and golden eyes, shoulder-length silver hair with a single bang covering his left eye, pointy ears,small devil like black horns on the sides of his head just above his ears, and a long devil tail on the base of his spine. For clothes, he wore a short-sleeve one-piece black and dark red unitard covered by a black cloak with a hood attached, dark red elbow-length fingerless gloves, black combat boots, and finally, in the middle of his forehead, a red chakra gem.

At the moment, Shadow watched a girl no older than with beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes being attacked by a massive swarm of black and orange robots.

Blondie is out number fifty to one, should I help her? She's doing good so far, Shadow thought to himself.

The blonde teen was about to throw another boulder she summoned from the ground when she suddenly was shot from behind by a laser beam causing her to land at least twenty feet away.

Maybe she does need help, Shadow sighed. He jump down, intending to make his work as quick as possible. Just as the robot was about to blast the girl again, Shadow landed on top of it, smashing it to pieces. Blasting a dark energy beam at the other robots before they could react, he decimated all of them into tiny, miniscule pieces. Unfortunately, he didn't notice a sole surviving robot behind him. Just as the robot was about to blast him, it was suddenly crumpled by a giant rock that appeared out of nowhere. Shadow glanced behind him and saw that the girl dragged herself up on her feet with glowing yellow.

Shadow studied the area, observing his environment cautiously for any remaining threats. When he found none, he focused back on the girl whom had now fainted from sheer exhaustion.

He sighed deeply as he approached her limp body. He attained a much better look at her now as opposed to earlier. She was covered head to toe in scathing scratches and brutal bruises and her armor looked like it was hanging loosely off her.

Shadow picked up and carried the girl bridal style and on a whim, teleported the two of them back to his hideout.

When Shadow arrived at his hideout, he placed the sleeping girl gently on one of the spare beds. He decided to prepare food, moving over to the kitchen as he use his powers to levitate levitate only the ingredients that he needed to make his dish. Soon, the kitchen was filled with the smell of freshly baked bread and homemade stew.

He heard footsteps coming towards him. His eyes quickly marked it's location and came to see his visitor wide-awake.

The dark boy smiled, "I see that you're finally awake. I hope you're hungry; I made enough beef stew for the both of us."

She nodded her head as a response. She stared at him nervously, unsure of her host. He politely gestured for her to sit and after a slight hesitation, she did as the stranger asked. As they both sat down, he served her and began to eat.

After a few minutes of tense silence, the girl decided to start the conversation. "Um…Thanks for saving me," she putting her spoon down whilst giving a shy appreciation. Shadow just nodded, putting his dirty dish in the sink.

"My name is Shadow. What's yours?"

"Terra," she responded sharply, though she was trying to be polite.

"Terra huh? That's a nice name… Do you have a place to stay?" Shadow had genuine concerned in his voice. "If you want, you can stay here."

Surprised by the sudden question and suggestion Terra remain silent for a mere moment of astonishment and deliberation until she asked, "Are you sure? I don't wanna be a burden."

"I don't wanna be a burden." Shadow gave her a warm smile for reassurance, mocking her words and denoting them as foolish talk with a good-natured heart. "You're not a burden to me."

Terra smiled back lightly, happy to have company as her wariness diminished. "So I know this is a bit late for me to ask… but where are we anyways?"

"It's my hideout is in a unknown island in the lake of a forest of Kansas. By the way if you don't mind me asking, why were those robots trying to kill you?"

The room was filled silence for a long, tense, excruciatingly uncomfortable thirty seconds until Shadow broke it. "It's fine, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Terra trembled, "N-No, it's fine, I don't mind telling you, it's just-"

"Hard," Shadow finished the word she couldn't admit.

She sighed, "Yes, but I need to warn you that you won't like what you hear about me." Shadow just stared at her in silence waiting for her to continue.

So then she began her narrative.

She told him about her life.

Roaming the country because her powers were out of control.

Being constantly rejected.

Crashing in caves for the night.

Her first encounter with the Titans and with Slade.

How she had joined Slade in order to learn control.

Her betrayal and redemption.

Everything.

Once Terra was finished with her story, a single tear escaped from her eyes. It took a moment for Shadow to process it.

Wow this girl had a rough is like there is no actually positive influence on her. And as for the Titans they are obviously no help especially this Beast Boy guy.

"Terra, I'm sorry that you have to go through all that, but I promise I won't let something like that happen to you ever again," Shadow swore an oath as he pulled out his hand to the elemental manipulator.

"How can I know that I can trust you? How can I also know that you're keep your promise? For all I know you could just be like everyone else I met on the road, nice and kind to me as long I went along with what they wanted. But once I started thinking for myself or doing something different, they turn on me."

"No, no. I'm not going to turn my back on you Terra. You might find this hard to believe, but I'm a man of my word so no matter what happens, I would never turn my back on you or anyone," Shadow said brightly as he smile d.

Terra smiled back as she reached for his hand. "Thank you," she praised him.

Meanwhile, outside, without Shadow's knowledge, a mini-camera was following them, recording everything that happened. The camera sprouted wings and flew off to who knows where.

To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners and not me with some exceptions. Only this story is mine, nothing else. Please read and review.

Two Months Later…

Terra woke up earlier than she usually did for the past two months. Unlike previous days, she was watching the sunrise from the rooftop of Shadow's hideout. At first, it was a bit awkward for the blonde to live around Shadow, but she became more comfortable around him after she began to learn more about his routine and his daily activities.

She sighed, What am I going to do? Sure, it's kind of Shadow to let me stay here, but I don't know anything about him really. I don't even know why he's… him. I definitely can't go back to the Titans after what I did, but… what if they find me? No, the last thing I need are the Titans or Justice League on my ass and they might send me to Arkham or worse.

Something is wrong with my powers. I can feel something… different about them. Like they're evolving or something along those lines. No, I definitely can't let them find me now. Who knows what I'll do, Terra agonized in her mind as the rooftop door opened quietly. The blonde turned her head as if someone was peeking in on her bathing.

"Terra, you're up super early today," Shadow exhaled concern. " Normally you sleep until ten. Is something's troubling you?"

"No! No," she sedated her anxiety.

"Terra, I'm an empath. I know when you're lying. No matter what's on your mind, I'm here listening to whatever you could possibly say," a warm smile as smooth as butterscotch skipped like a pebble across his lips.

Sighing, Terra confessed, "Well for one thing, I'm glad that you found me and gave me a home… but I don't know anything about you. For all I know, you could be an evil mastermind trying to use me for my powers…" Just like everyone else I've ever met. A sullen silence gushed from her in place of the unspoken words and clashed against Shadow's receptive ears. She looked back at the sunrise with wistful eyes, hoping for a beautiful new beginning in her life.

"What do you want to know about me?"

"Hmm?"

"What do you want to know about me? I don't mind telling. "

"Really?"

He nodded with the kind of eyes you'd see in a mother by a campfire as she reminisced into the past and told her children how things used to be. Like an elder in a nursing home, he was just waiting for someone to ask about his life so he could educate the junior about simpler, more gracious times when he was in his prime.

"You practically told me everything about you so I might as well tell something about me. How about I tell you a small chronicle about my life and if you nave any questions, I'll answer them. I'll start from the beginning.

"My mother is technically a powerful angel, but most people call her the Goddess of Faith, Light, and Justice. My father," Shadow let a noticeable displeasure flourish in his voice as if he had chewed on bitter soap and bloodied tooth shards. "He's a powerful demon known as the Dark King and he rules a part of the underworld."

"So… you're not human?" Confusion about otherworldly sex started to flood her mind.

"That's correct," Shadow strayed back to a more innocent mindset as if he were a child proudly announcing he were a mixture of two races in the 1800's. "I'm a Nephalem! Half-demon and half-angel. Born in the underworld and raised until I was thirteen. Left home to travel around that time.

"You used to travel? Terra asked still focused on how two entities would fornicate and why. Slowly her mind pried itself away from Lucifer's staff and wondered what it meant for Shadow's character. Sure, Raven was somewhat heroic, but not everyone was raised as an upstanding role model.

Shadow responded with a nod, "Ever since I left home. I've traveled through so many different dimensions before I came here… And to answer your other question, I'm not a hero or a villain."

"If you're not a hero or a villain, then what are you?"

"An anti-hero is what a lot of people would call me though a lot do mistake me for a hero. From what you told me two months ago, it sounds to me that you were only given two paths: a narrow path to altruism or the stepping stones to evil.

"Now, whether you'll follow a guided path to heroism, villainy or wherever you choose to meander between the foggy grey of the philosophical constructs, don't let anyone else tell you how to run your life or you'll never be truly happy."

Like medicine from a needle, Terra had to let his words sink into her. Don't let people run my life or my choices or else and I will never be truly happy. I guess he's right and not only that I always have been running away from my problems even though it doesn't solve nothing, Terra thought to herself.

"Thank, Shadow…" her voice strengthened as his words evoked courage from her healthier heart. Though she was nursed back from malnourishment, she had always been apprehensive about her caretaker; but now, she smiled with complete trust in him.

Shadow smile back, "No problem. This is what friends are for. Which reminds me I got something for you." Reaching inside his cloak, he pulled out a folded, white shopping bag you'd find at a mall. "I assumed you might be tired of wearing the same dress everyday so I bought this yesterday. You were asleep when I returned, so sorry about the lateness."

"You went clothes shopping yesterday!" Not only did gratitude fill her flabbergasted lips, but an inner blush as she found his efforts adorable, if not cute. "Thanks," she managed to whisper as she took the bag from her hybrid friend. "I'll go try on now," she dashed from the roof back inside before she did something as stupid as crying.

Fifteen Minutes Later…

Trying out the new clothes, Terra gazed devoid of vanity deeply into the depths of her reflection. In awe, she examined herself as she wondered how Shadow knew her size and a style that actually looked magnificent on her.

Wearing a sexy-via-innocence, yellow qipao with short sleeves, Terra twisted on the ball of her foot to observe a black butterfly design on the back. She wore black leggings, matching fingerless gloves, and black combat boots.

After she snapped out of gawking at Shadow's fashion sense, she tried to coolly emerge from her quarters for a greetings from Shadow who had seated himself with a small, blue book no bigger than a grocery list book.

His eyes flickered up, amused as he attempted to prevent them from widening. He was like a cat who just noticed the laser, yet didn't comprehend it was to be chased. His eyes were like the cat in the split -seconds between the moments. The flicker of his eyes were so deviously calm, so meticulously sexy that she instantly melted on the inside and had to knock her knees to prevent herself from falling down from wobbling.

He thinks I'm gorgeous. Calm down Terra, otherwise he's going to know you're already fantasising about him.

"You look really good," he commented.

"Thank you," she hid her face behind her hair as much as she could. Her blush was as red as the sunset before twilight.

Hey, Guys sorry if this chapter is late work has been kicking my butt lately. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please follow and review.


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